This past summer State Rep. Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, D-Portsmouth, was involved in an accident which left her shaken and injured. She had placed her grandchild on one of those smaller carnival-like rides you see in front of supermarkets and departments stores. As the ride suddenly jerked, Cali-Pitts reached for her grandson. Getting caught between the spinning ride and a nearby wall, she required 14 stitches, according to a report by the Portsmouth Herald.

Normally a story placed deep within the pages, the Cali-Pitts tale made the front page because she plans on filing legislation to regulate such amusement rides. While Foster’s grants the accident is unfortunate, so too is it that the state representative wants to stretch the state’s regulatory arm, which is already overextended.

Cali-Pitts admits she can find no statistics that speak to the danger posed by such rides. Yet somehow, she told the Herald, this further strengthens her argument that no one is regulating the rides.

“I couldn’t find anything,” she said. “That was surprising to me.”

Did the state representative ever stop to think there may be a good reason no statistics exist which justify her legislative effort? Could it be that accidents such as the one she experienced are few and far between?

In an attempt to find out, we Googled a few terms associated with kiddie rides. What we found were myriad news report of children being injured by traditional rides found at county fairs. What we could not find are headlines other than the Herald’s complaining about mini-kiddie ride accidents.

This is not to say they don’t exist. However, were we to propose such legislation, it would be incumbent on us to call myriad kiddie ride-related associations and trade groups which compile statistics that number more than the one involving Cali-Pitts and her grandson. We would have our lawyer do a LexisNexis search for related lawsuits.

But even if we found enough to justify legislation, where would the state get the money to enforce more rules and regulations that it is already struggling to enforce?

According to state’s Assistant Safety Commissioner Earl Sweeney, New Hampshire only has two inspectors covering the entire state. Sure, Sweeney told Cali-Pitts it would be nice to have some regulations in place. But the reality is that unless they are enforced, such regulations will only give some lawyer fodder for more lawsuits.

Interestingly, Cali-Pitts admits the ride was labeled with a sign that warns users not to leave children unattended, and that riders must remain seated while the ride is in motion and that they must be attended by a responsible adult within arm’s reach. The sign also warns the ride “may start with a jolt,” something Cali-Pitts said she believes should never happen.

Which brings us to the issue of personal responsibility.

Even warned, we choose to take risks. Pick up nearly any commercially available product and you will find the fine print — much as was found on the kiddie ride by Cali-Pitts. But in spite of such warnings, the vast majority of us choose to assume risk. How then can government be asked to do what we as individuals refuse to do?

Hopefully, such singularly driven legislation as that planned by Cali-Pitts will be the exception rather than the rule as the newly inducted Legislature gets down to business. Given the choice between promoting job growth and debating the fine print on kiddie rides, the former should win the day.